Colby College, Biomass Plant

Waterville, ME

Colby College has constructed a new biomass plant that replaces about 1 million gallons of heating fuel oil with about 22 thousand tons of locally sourced wood chips and forest waste annually.

The plant burns low-grade forest waste and debris including bark and treetops.

During construction, 90% of the construction waste was diverted, while the plant's building materials had a recycled content of 25%, and 23% of materials were locally sourced and manufactured. New wood used on the project was 72% FSC certified. Cyclonic dust collectors and an electrostatic precipitator were installed to remove particulates from emissions during operations. This project is estimated to reduce the college's carbon emissions by more than 9,500 tons annually. This initiative takes the College much closer to its goal of carbon neutrality by 2015.

The project was awarded a LEED Gold® certification; at the time or certification, this was the only one of three college central plants in the country that were LEED certified.